SourcingNov 25, 2024
William Goldberg Celebrates 2 Major Milestones With New Book“The William Goldberg Way” was released in honor of the company’s 75th anniversary and 25 years of its proprietary Ashoka diamond.
CrimeSep 07, 2018
15 Rounded Up for Robbing Traveling Jewelry Salespeople
The attacks happened between 2014 and 2016, totaling 11 incidences in five states.
New York—Law enforcement officials just arrested the last of the 15 Colombians wanted in 11 violent robberies of traveling jewelry salespeople perpetrated over a nearly two-year span.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday the FBI and the Miami Beach Police Department arrested the final suspect Sunday in Miami, ending the string of arrests that began in 2016 and involved the FBI, the Justice Department, local law enforcement agencies and the Colombian National Police.
While the Jewelers’ Security Alliance has issued a number of warnings about off-premises attacks in recent years—including this one from November 2016—this particular string of robberies happened between late 2014 and early 2016.
According to the Justice Department, members of the gang used fake IDs to rent cars and book hotel rooms and flights to do surveillance on their intended targets, starting in Oklahoma City in September 2014 and ending in January 2016 in Dallas.
They watched traveling diamond and jewelry salespeople as they went in and out of jewelry stores—surveilling them on foot or from vehicles—and followed them in order to identify potential victims.
When they were ready to strike, gang members allegedly blocked in their victims’ vehicles, often flattening the tires and smashing in the windows, and threatened the salespeople with BB guns, knives, blades and center punches (a tool with a sharp point used to mark the center of an object) to get them to turn over their diamonds and jewelry.
According to the Justice Department, the 15 suspects carried out, or attempted to carry out, robberies in five states: Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Indiana and Virginia. Salespeople traveling through Texas were targeted the most, with nearly half of the robberies taking place in either Dallas or Houston.
Members of the crew allegedly sold the diamonds and jewelry they stole to various fences—individuals who knowingly buy stolen goods in order to later offload them for a profit—and split the proceeds.
The suspects are a mix of women and men, all Colombian nationals and ranging in age from 25 to 45. A full list of their names, along with their many aliases and various charges, is available on Justice.gov.
Three of the suspects were nabbed in Colombia by the Colombian National Police, DIJIN Vetted Team, between October 2017 and this past February. The remaining 12 defendants were caught in the United States.
The suspects face various robbery and RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations
Act) conspiracy charges, and nine of the 15 have pleaded guilty so far.
According to the Justice Department, those nine are:
—Omar Gonzalez, 38, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on July 27, 2017 and was sentenced on Feb. 20 to 66 months in prison;
—Erika Guiterrez Machado (aka Angela Cuebas), 45, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery on Sept. 5, 2017 and was sentenced to 40 months in prison on Jan. 22;
—Tito Andres Vargas Urbina, 31, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on Aug. 29, 2017;
—Jonathan David Malpica, 33, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on Sept. 5, 2017;
—Catherine Salas, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery on Oct. 31, 2017;
—Andres Felipe Henao, 32, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery on Jan. 9;
—Mohammed Natour, 32, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on March 13;
—Roger Zamora (aka Jaime Alba Juarez), 40, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on March 20; and
—Luis Garcia, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery on March 27.
Urbina, Malpica, Salas, Henao, Natour, Zamora and Garcia are all awaiting sentencing.
According to the Justice Department, those nine are:
—Omar Gonzalez, 38, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on July 27, 2017 and was sentenced on Feb. 20 to 66 months in prison;
—Erika Guiterrez Machado (aka Angela Cuebas), 45, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery on Sept. 5, 2017 and was sentenced to 40 months in prison on Jan. 22;
—Tito Andres Vargas Urbina, 31, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on Aug. 29, 2017;
—Jonathan David Malpica, 33, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on Sept. 5, 2017;
—Catherine Salas, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery on Oct. 31, 2017;
—Andres Felipe Henao, 32, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery on Jan. 9;
—Mohammed Natour, 32, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on March 13;
—Roger Zamora (aka Jaime Alba Juarez), 40, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy on March 20; and
—Luis Garcia, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery on March 27.
Urbina, Malpica, Salas, Henao, Natour, Zamora and Garcia are all awaiting sentencing.
More on Crime
The Latest
Lab-GrownNov 25, 2024
Lab-Grown Co. Lusix Sold to 2 Companies for $4M Fenix and Dholakia Lab-Grown Diamonds have jointly acquired the Israel-based company, which grows diamonds using solar power.
IndependentsNov 25, 2024
Sophie Bille Brahe Opens First US StoreThe Danish brand has opened an appointment-only location on Madison Avenue in New York City.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Events & AwardsNov 25, 2024
The Original Miami Beach Antique Show Panel to Feature Fred SavageThe actor and watch enthusiast will be part of the show’s education lineup.
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
EditorsNov 22, 2024
Out & About: Inside the CD Peacock MansionStep inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
CollectionsNov 22, 2024
Piece of the Week: Xander Jane’s ‘Spiked’ Pearl StudsThese punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
SourcingNov 22, 2024
Facets of Fire Expands to Include Pear, Marquise DiamondsThe company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition ReturnsThis year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
EditorsNov 15, 2024
Why Fine Jewelry Belongs at New York Comic ConSenior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
